Disposal system



April 27, 1954 E. F. HOWE 2,676,666

oxs osm. SYSTEM FiledOct. 14, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 27, 1954 Filed Oct. 14, 1950 E. F. HOWE DISPOSAL SYSTEM 4 SheetS -Sheet 2 April 27, 1954 HOWE 2,676,666

DISPOSAL SYSTEM Filed Oct. 14, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 April 27, 4- E. F. HOWE DISPOSAL SYSTEM 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 14, 1950 Patented Apr. 27, 1954 ElraiFrancis H0we,.- Chicagmjlli, assignor .to. Joseph P. Graf,

Application October 14, 1950; seria1No.-f90,fi3 9 Claims. (01. 182-4) This invention relates -to a dispb'salsystem, and more particularly to a sewage disposal systern vvherein the collection tank may "bebelow the level of the disposal pi-pe.

One feature of thisinvention' is that itprovides animproved disposalsystem;another feature of the invention is that it provides a d-isposal system wherein the collection tank and all 'ofzthe-disposal apparatus may-babelow the levelof the disposal pipey afurther-feature of the invention.

is that the-collection ta'nkis provided with a pocket-of relativelysinall volume whereby the system is "made more sensitive and positive-"in its ope1 "atii )n;--stillv another feature ofthemvention is that positive check valve means are. provided to prevent any substantial reversefiow through th'e'system; yet a fur-ther feature of -the invention isthat disintegrating means are provided f ordisintegrating any solid material which mi'ght'reach and clog the pump of the apparatus; and still-an additional feature-of the invention is that substantially the entire system may be mounted below floor level where it is completely out of the way, while at the same time-ready access may be had to theapparatu's 'forpurposes of cleaning "or repair.

Other 7 features and advantages will-be apparent from'the following description and from: the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectionshowing the 'disposal apparatus associated. with a w'ater closet; Fig. 2 is a top plan view-of the-apparatus of Fig. 1 with the water closet-removed; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section along the line 3.-'-3,of Fig. 1 Fig. 4

is an enlarged fragmentary verticalssection along 3.

the line 4 4 of Fig. Ii; Fig. '5 is a fragmentary section; along theline 5--5;of Fig. 4-; Fig. 6515 a transverse horizontal section along the-line 6-16 of Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a section along the line 1! of Fig. 4; and Fig. '8. is a top. plan view of the pump impeller apparatus.

The disposal system disclosed and claimed.

herein is particularly adapted for use in a basement or the like, wherein the disposal or-sewer pipe enters the building above thebasementfioor level. I-Ieretofore it has not been possibleflto install a water closet, sewer, tub, sink, etc., insuch a. basement unless-a large, expensive -ej ector; unit was. also installed. Such an ejector :unit costs a verysubstantial:amount a-ndzcomprisessaimotor driven pumping system wherein bulky mechanisms'are located *above the floor of the basement, utilizing considerable space in the base inent. v

The system disclosed and claimed herein-1 in- 2 cludes a flort-f 'actxiated "motor-operated pump arrangementall of the mechanisms being positioned' bel'ow the basement fioor-levelso that no spaceis utilized in the basement. In addition,

- the improved system can b'e installed for a small fraction of, the icost'of known ejector units and includes features' and advantages. not heretofore known insu'ch unitsJasfor example, a tank construction which results in high sensitivity and improved'operation of the apparatus, a check valve arrangement for-preventing back flow in anysubstantialamount, andrdisintegrator means for effecting thedisintegration of any solid material which would reach the-ipump.

Certainof'the mechanisms:1w-hich may be employed in the system and which are illustrated in the system disclosed-herein are similar to mechanisms shown and described in detail in my -.patent. for a Flood Control System, No. 2,421,066, which issued May. 27, 1947. Ifdesired, reference may-be had toxthis patent for a more detailed'disclosure of certain of the mechanisms. Referencexmay also be had-to my cQ-pending applic'ationentitled FloodfControl System, filed August 26, 1949, as Serial No. 112;5'8 '7, nowPatent No...-2;5i69,1:02, "issuedfisept'ember 25, 1951, .for a disclosureof; a fioo'd control system utilizing some similar-arrangements.

Referring now more-particularly to the drawings, in Fig;,=-1,;the 'basic apparatus is shown as beingvinstalledbeneath:a basement floor In and as being utilized with a water closet. comprising a, b0;wl.:l"| and a, 'flush tank l2. A disposal or sewer pipe :ilt3 enters .the building above the level of'the :basementr-floor. Obviously. with this arrangement, aiconvention'al water 'closetvdrainage system would; notzbeifeasible.

The t disposal apparatus :comprises a housing having a: sloping-rear wall; I i beneath the water closetand having a. vertical front wall. [5, a base and side walls "l'lfandfilfl. The housing, which may comprise an iron casting, is divided by a partition mintoya collection tankZl beneath the ,water closet. and 'an :apparatusxcgmpartment 22 forwardly of the water vfcluset. The apparatus compartmenthas a, readily removable. cover 23 which "may *be secured byscrews onto an inwardly-turnedffiange 2,5,, and thegcollection tank hasz agremovableplaterZfi: to permit access to the interior of the. tank.

vThepartition "20:?is so formed that it provides apock'et 2 1 ini:thetank"21,'asseen best-in Fig. 1'. *Bhispocketis of relatively small volume when compared with thevolume of the tank, which mayrhave over-all volume of 35601 40.,g'allons.

Inasmuch as the pocket joins with the sloping Wall l4, it acts as a collector for liquid and solid material so that the solid material may become water-soaked and may be more easily disintegrated, as will be hereinafter described. The tank 2| has a top opening 28 for connection with the drain connector of the water closet, and the tank has a plugged opening 29 in at least one side for connection with some other drainage source, as for example, a tub, shower, etc. Another opening 30 in one side of the tank connects with an air vent pipe 30a which may lead out of the building in conventional manner.

On the other side of the partition 20 in the apparatus compartment 22, a motor 3| is mounted on a cylindrical mounting stand 32 which extends upwardly from a pump housing casting 33, the housing 33 being connected with the disposal pipe It by means of an outlet pipe 34 which provides a fluid passage communicating with the outlet of the pump and the disposal pipe. A conventional check valve 35 in the pipe 34 permits substantial flow only in the disposal direction from the pump to the disposal pipe.

In order to draw material from the pocket 21 of the collection tank 2|, a pump is provided in the housing 33, and the inlet side of the pump is connected to the pocket 2"! by a fluid passage designated at 36 in Fig. 4. The drive shaft sic of the motor extends into the housing 33 and near the lower end of this shaft the pump impeller 4i] (Fig. 8) is mounted, the pump being of the common centrifugal type having a centrally located intake 31 and an outlet 4| at the periphery of the pump housing, as shown in Fig. 8.

A plurality of disintegrator blades 42 are mounted on the shaft 3|a within the housing 33 for rotation by the motor 3|, these blades having portions extending between the parallel bars 43 of a grate, and said blades extending closely adjacent the inner wall of the pump housing 33 so that disintegration of solid material is accomplished as disclosed in my earlier patent above mentioned.

Rapid rotation of the disintegrator blades 42 will cause the water to spin around the pump inlet, centrifugal force. keeping the water away from the centrally located inlet 31. In order to increase the emciency of the pump, I provide a water guide between the disintegrating means and the intake of the pump for causing material to flow into the pump intake 31. The guide comprises a pair of stationary plates 44 and 45 of spiral formation arranged on opposite sides of the shaft em to define va tapering flow path into the pump intake as best seen in Fig. 7. These guides pick up the whirling stream of water developed by the disintegrator blades. 42 and direct it into the center of the housing 33 and into the pump intake 37, thereby increasing the efficiency of the pump.

The motor 3| is operated by float actuated switch means generally similar in structure and function to those described in my earlier patent, the motor being connected to a source of power through a switch which is controlled by a float. This motor control means comprises a float 46 in the pocket 2? and connected by a shaft 41 to switch means within a switch housing 48. This float operated switch device may comprise a conventional commercially obtainable Magnetrol mercury type switch and may be similar to that of my earlier patent. The power leads extend through a conduit 50 out of the apparatus chamber and make connection with an outside source of voltage, as for example, conventional commercial volt A. C., through a master control switch 5! which may be mounted at any convenient location.

In the operation of the disposal system, when water and solid material enter the collection tank 2| they collect in the pocket 22, which is purposely of relatively small volume when compared to the volume of the tank 2i, so that when only a gallon or so of water enters the pocket the float 46 is raised sufficiently to close the magnetrol switch in the housing 48 and start the motor'3i (assuming, of course, that the master switch 5| is closed). The motor will drive the pump impeller 46 and the disintegrator blades 42 so that as the water flows toward the pump intake solid material will be disintegrated and will not clog the pump. The relatively small size of the pocket 2's assures that all solids will be soaked in water to facilitate disintegration, since there is normally some water in said pocket as indicated by the dashed line in Figs. 1 and 4. The water and other material is passed through the pump and out the pipe 3'4, past the check valve 35, and to the disposal pipe l3. In the apparatus disclosed in Fig. 1, the pump will normally operate for about 20 seconds each time the apparatus is actuated. It is important to position the float so that the shut-01f position of the float-i. e., the position of the float when the magnetrol switch is opened as the float descends-is above the bottom of the passageway 36 in order to remove any possibility that the pump would be connected to operate all of the time.

The system disclosed herein provides a novel and efficient disposal system, particularly adapted for use where the sewage pipe or other disposal pipe enters the building above the basement floor. Because of the check valve 35 there is no possibility of back flow which would cause flooding, and the system is completely automatic in operation and when installed utilizes almost no space above the basement floor level, the only parts extending above the floor level being the outlet pipe 34 and the electric conduit 56. The cover 23 may be readily removed to obtain access to the apparatus compartment, and the plate 28 may be readily removed to permit cleaning the grate if necessary.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A disposal system associated With a disposal pipe, including: a collection tank having an offset portion providing a pocket of relatively small volume compared to the volume of said tank, said pocket being so placed that substantially all liquid entering said tank flows immediately into said pocket; a pump; a first fluid passage communicating with said pocket and the inlet of said pump; a second fluid passage communicating with the outlet of said pump and said disposal pipe; motor means for operating said pump; and motor actuating means responsive to the liquid level in said pocket for controlling the operation of said motor means.

2. A disposal system associated with a disposal pipe,. including; a collection tank having an off- 52 set: portion providing; apocketofirel'atlvely small volume compared to thevolumeofsaidtank, said pocket being so placed that substantially all liquid entering said" tank flows immediately into said pocket; a pump; a first fluid passage'communicating-with-*saidi pocket and the inlet of said pump; a second fiuid passage-communicate ingwith the outlet of said pump and said disposalpipe; a check valve'in said secondpassage permitting substantial flow'on'lv inthe-disposaldirection from" said pump to-said disposal pipe; motor means foroperatingsaid pump rand motor actuating means responsive to the liquid level in said pocket for controlling the: operation of said; motormeans, saidmotor actuating means com prising afloat in said pocket and. switch means operated thereby, at least the pocket of said tank, said pump and mot'ormeans being below the level of said disposal pipe.

3: A; sewage disposal system associated with a disposal pipe, including: a housing adapted: to be, positioned under a floor below thelevel. of said; disposal pipe, said housing, having a, partition providing a collection tank on one side thereof and an apparatus compartmenton the other side thereof, said collectiontank having a:,small1' offset pocketa't substantially thebottomithereof so that substantially all liquid entering said tank flows immediately into said pocket; a pump in said compartment; a first fluid passage communicating with said pocket and the inlet of said pump; a grate comprising a plurality of spaced parallel bars extending transversely of said passage; a pipe providing a second fluid passage communicating with the outlet of said pump and said disposal pipe; a check valve in said pipe permitting substantial flow only in the disposal direction from said pump to said disposal pipe; a motor in said compartment for operating said pump; a plurality of rotatable blades positioned between said grate and the inlet of said pump, said blades operated by said motor and a portion of each of said blades projecting through said grate during part of each cycle of rotation for efiecting the disintegration of any solid material which would reach the pump; motor actuating means responsive to the liquid level in said pocket for controlling the operation of said motor means, comprising a float in said pocket, switch means in said compartment, means connecting said float and switch means whereby said switch means are operated by said float, the float and switch means being so arranged that the motor shut-off position of the float is above the bottom of said first passage; and readily removable cover means for said housing to permit access to said grate and to said motor, pump and switch means.

4. A sewage disposal system associated with a disposal pipe, including: a housing adapted to be positioned under a floor, below the level of said disposal pipe, said housing having a partition providing a collection tank on one side thereof and an apparatus compartment on the other side thereof, said collection tank having an offset portion providing a pocket of relatively small volume compared to the volume of said tank, said tank including a flow guiding means to direct substantially all liquid entering said tank into said pocket; a pump in said compartment; a first fluid passage communicating with said pocket and the inlet of said pump; motor means in said compartment for operating said pump; motor actuating means responsive to the liquid level in said pocket for controlling the operation ofsald motor means;- an'd a pipe providing a; Second fluidpassage communicating with the outiet of said'pump and said disposal piper 5'; A sewage disposal system associatedwith a disposalpipe, including: a housing adapted to.

ingwithsaid pocket and theinlet of said pump;

motor'means in said compartment for operating said pump; motor actuating means responsive to the" liquid levelin said pocket for controlling the-operation of saidmotor means, said motor actuating means comprising a float in said pocket, switch means in said compartment, and means connecting said float to said switch means whereby'the float operates the switch means, the-motor sh-utofl'position of that being above the bottom of said first passage;'--a'nd a pipe providing ascoond fluid passage communicating with the outlet of said pump and said disposal pipe.

6. A sewage disposal system associated with a disposal pipe, including: a housing adapted to be positioned under a floor below the level of said disposal pipe and to have a toilet mounted on the top thereof, said housing having a partition providing a collection tank on one side thereof and an apparatus compartment on the other side thereof, said collection tank having an offset pocket of relatively small volume compared to the volume of said tank, said pocket being placed on substantially the bottom of said tank so that substantially all liquid entering said tank flows immediately into said pocket; a pump in said compartment; a first fluid passage communicating with said pocket and the inlet of said pump; a grate comprising a plurality of spaced parallel bars extending transversely of said passage; a pipe providing a second fluid passage communicating with the outlet of said pump and said disposal pipe; a check valve in said pipe permitting substantial flow only in the disposal direction from said pump to said disposal pipe; a motor in said compartment for operating said pump; a plurality of rotatable blades positioned between said grate and the inlet of said pump, said blades operated by said motor and a portion of each of said blades projecting through said grate during part of each cycle of rotation for effecting a disintegration of any solid material which would reach the pump; motor actuating means responsive to the liquid level in said pocket for controlling the operation of said motor means, comprising a float in said pocket, switch means in said compartment, means connecting said float and switch means whereby said switch means are operated by said float, the float and switch means being so arranged that the motor shutoff position of the float is above the bottom of said first passage; and readily removable cover means for said housing to permit access to said grate and to said motor, pump and switch means.

7. A sewage disposal system associated with a disposal pipe, including: a housing adapted to be positioned under a floor below the level of said disposal pipe; a drain conduit in the top of said housing; a partition in said housing providing an apparatus compartment on one side thereof and a collection tank on the other side thereof, said collection tank having an ofiset pocket of relatively small volume compared to the volume of said tank, said pocket being on substantially the bottom of said tank, and said tank having a downwardly sloping wall adapted to carry substantially all flow of liquid from said drain immediately to said pocket; a first fluid passage communicating with said pocket and the inlet of said pump; motor means in said compartment for operating ating means responsive to the liquid level in said pocket, said means comprising a float in said pocket, switch means in said compartment, and means connecting said float to said switch means whereby the float operates the switch means, the motor shutofl position of the float being above the bottom of said first passage; and a pipe providing a second fluid passage communicating with the outlet of said pump and said disposal pipe.

8. A disposal system associated with a disposal pipe, including: a collection tank having an offset pocket of relatively small volume compared to the volume of said tank, said pocket being said pump; motor actu-v placed on substantially the bottom of said tank so that substantially all liquid entering said tank flows immediately into said pocket; a pump; a first fluid passage communicating with said pocket and the inlet of said pump; a second fluid passage communicating with the outlet of said pump and said disposal pipe; motor means for operating said pump; and motor actuating means responsive to the liquid'level insaid pocket for controlling the operation of said motor means.

9. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim 8 wherein said motor actuating means comprises a float in said-pocket and switch means operated thereby, the motor shut-off position of the float being above the bottom of said first fluid passage.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 757,169 Yeomans Apr. 12, 1904 2,373,935 Winter Apr. 17, 1945 2,421,066 Howe May 2'7, 1947 2,549,204 Kaddatz Apr. 1'7, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 307,561 Great Britain Mar. 14, 1929 

